Light in the Dark
by belle-fille1
Summary: When Mokuba is kidnapped, Seto must work with Tea to find out what these people want. But these people are out to get both of them. Can Seto and Tea save Mokuba and themselves from the unknown enemies? AN: Right now, goes into relationship a bit
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gioh!

I just thought about this story. I'm not sure if it's good or not, so please review and tell me what you think. Tea x Seto, but it's more like a gradual romance. And by the way if you haven't read my other story, Power Within, can you read it and tell me what you think?.......i know, i know, I've turned into a review addict!

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It was late dusk and Tea was on her way to her house. She had just parted with Yugi and was hurrying down the street when she heard a young boy's voice yell, "Help!"

She ran toward the call into a deserted alley. Three men in black with masks covering their faces was holding a struggling Mokuba. "Shaddup!" one said harshly, cuffing the boy on the head. "Let's get back to the car before anyone sees us," hissed another. The men turned and stopped in surprise when they saw Tea. 

"Let go of him!" cried Tea in a trembling voice. Ever since her mother died, her father had turned into an moody and angry man. He started to vent this anger on Tea. Then he committed suicide a few years later. Tea had lived alone ever since then, and any kind of abuse, whether it was family related or just some bullies picking on a weaker prey struck a sensitive chord in her heart. 

The men leered at her. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" one said, licking his lips. Tea stood her ground. "I said let him go! Are you that weak that you feel more powerful if you picked on someone littler than you?" she said bravely.

"Hehe...hehhaha!" said the first man. "This _boy_ is worth millions if ransomed!"

Two of the men approached Tea and grabbed her arms. "But I'm sure we can also have a little fun with you as well!" 

"Get off of me you scumbag!" Tea said whacking the first with her purse. (Inside her purse was a brick, something she always carried around if she was every attacked). 

"F@#%!" he yelled, letting go of her arm, holding his head in pain. The other guy laughed at his comrade who was crouching on the ground. "She got you there!" he laughed raucously. "But I ain't that stupid," he said to Tea. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be messin' around in other people's business." With that he reached inside his coat and drew out a gun. "Don't worry," he said with an evil grin, "I ain't gonna kill you." He raised his arm and hit her in the head with the butt. Tea fell unconscious to the ground. The man she had just hit, viciously kicked her in the ribs several times.

"Enough! We don't have much time. Bring her with the boy," the man with the gun ordered to the others as they piled into a black limousine that pulled up to the dark alley. 

***************************************

Kaiba was in a panic. He had just got back from work and expected to find Mokuba back at the mansion. When he got back, no one was there.

"What do you mean, he isn't here?" he said in a deadly tone to the cowering butler. 

"Mister Kaiba, sir---I thought he went to a friend's house and so I didn't want to call and disturb you......"

"You're fired," Kaiba snarled. "You incompetent fool!"

He whirled around and dialed Mokuba's cell. 'C'mon Mokuba, damnit, answer please!' No answer. Then a raspy voice picked up. "Is this Seto Kaiba," the voice said.

"Who are you," demanded Kaiba. "Where's Mokuba?" It seemed like his greatest fear was coming true. 

The voice chuckled sinisterly. "Oh we have your little brother alright. Come to 113 Park Station tomorrow, to await your orders at midnight.....or else your dear brother will be killed."

Kaiba's heart raced. "I will give you three times the amount than what you're receiving now if you bring back my brother. I will also give you protection from the police if they trace this kidnapping back to you," he said calmly his voice not betryaing his fear.

"Money and power won't be able to persuade me to work for you Mr. Kaiba. The man I'm working for has as much money and persuasion as you do. So stop trying to tempt me with false offers. Oh and by the way, if you tell anyone or try to trace this call, and believe me, we have informants everywhere, we'll send you pieces of Mokuba by mail." Click.

Kaiba slowly put the phone down. His face into an icy mask. 'I'll kill everyone of them for this,' he thought, clenching his fists together.

**************************

"The boss says to put the girl in the closet with the note on her," a man said. 

"Why?" another asked confusedly as he hefted the girl into the closet.

"Because," the first replied impatiently, "the boss don't want anyone of us to be caught by Kaiba. Let him think that the girl is there to bring the message, he'll suspect her." 

"But what if he knows her?"

"Will you just shut up?! How the hell will the CEO of KaibaCorp know this broad?"

"Okay.....but she's a pretty thing, too bad we couldn't have some fun with her. Did you take a look at her new clothes?," the second man snickered.

The other guy smirked. "Yeah, if she was still wearin' that school clothes, Kaiba wouldn't believe that she was sent from us."

***************************

Kaiba stalked down the road toward 118th Park Place. Inside his jacket was a gun and he was wearing a concealed walkie talkie (one of those really small ones) that connected him to the KaibaCorp. Unsavory looking people loitered on the streets but when they took one look at Kaiba's face, they blanched and reversed directions, walking quickly away. 

Meanwhile Tea groggily woke up to a piercing headache. "Ohh," she groaned. "Where am I?" She opened her eyes to darkness. She sat up quickly and hissed in pain as the headache doubled. Her hand felt around touched a doorknob. She gingerly got up, holding her head in one hand. She felt battered and bruised all over. 'The last thing I remember is getting hit by that goon.'

She slowly opened the door to a deserted and vandalized room. Her gaze surveyed the dusty curtains, grime-streaked windows and fractured walls. 'This place is a dump.'

Then she saw herself in the cracked mirror. Her jaw dropped. 'What am I wearing!'

Instead of her school uniform, she was wearing a tight black halter top and equally tight black pants. On her feet were stilettos and surrounding her neck was a spiky dog collar. Black eyes shadow and mascara were placed on her eyes and red lipstick shone on her normally pale lips. As she moved her hand to touch her neck in disbelief, pain flared on her bare shoulder. 

"Shoot, I think it's pulled," she muttered. "Now this," she said looking at herself in the mirror, "is something I never expected. Beaten, yes, but this?!" 'Why would the guys who kidnapped the boy want to do this? At least they didn't rape me or anything.'

Kaiba finally reached the deserted building. "So this is the shack that they stay in," he sneered to himself. "How utterly pathetic." 

He went inside the building and searched for any signs of people. Every room he entered was deserted, graffiti sprayed on the walls. It stank like a pigsty.

It was only until the 7th floor when he heard a person talking. 'Heh, a female voice.'

He crept slowly to the door. Peering inside he saw a woman standing in front of the mirror. She had cinnamon hair to her shoulders but her voluptuous curves were clearly seen in the tight outfit she was wearing. Her face was pale with lips that hinted of secret things to come. 'Hmm,' he thought, 'it's only one female, a prostitute if that. How sad. The kidnappers sent a weak little female. This will be easy to get her to talk.' 

With one quick move he flung the door open and had the woman slammed into the wall, holding her by the throat. "Well, well, well, what do we have here in this neighborhood?" he said with a feral smile that showed his teeth.

Tea's head was spinning and she was seeing stars. When her eyes could focus, the face in front of her finally focused. "Kaiba?" she stammered as she struggled to get his vise like grip off of her throat.

Kaiba stared at the woman who was blinking back tears, her eyes showing pain. The voice....sounded familiar. Could it be....? No, he banished the thought quickly. "You must be the person sent to give me 'orders,'" he snarled, grinding her into the wall with his body. 

"What...what are you talking about?" Tea choked out, trying to breathe.

"Bitch, you know what I'm talking about (excuse the language)."

"K-Kaiba, I'm Tea.....Tea Gardener."

Astonished, Kaiba carefully scrutinized the woman's face. --The hell! It was that girl that always tagged around the midget Yugi and his yapping friends............the one who had saved his life during Pegasus' tournament. 

He slowly released her and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I didn't know the little cheerleader was into this sort of business," he drawled, running his eyes up and down 

Rubbing her throat, Tea said bitterly, "Well excuse me mister CEO, I was kidnapped here by three men and then they put on this slutty outfit on me."

Kaiba started. "Wait," his eyes flashing dangerously, "you were kidnapped here?"

"Yeah," Tea said cautiously, "I, well I tried to save.....oh my gosh, I need to tell you that Mokuba was kidnapped with me!"

"Is he okay?" Kaiba said grabbing her injured shoulder.

Tea screamed in pain.

"Sorry," he said brusquely, letting go of her arm. 

"I don't know if he's alright. I got knocked out and found myself here," Tea said rubbing her shoulder gingerly.

Kaiba walked to the window and looked down. 'He seems so tense,' thought Tea. 'As much as I don't like him, I have to feel sorry for him.....everyone tries to hurt him by hurting Mokuba.'

Kaiba turned, his dark form silhouetted by the window. "I was told to come here and someone would give me a note for ransom. I don't suppose you have a note on you?"

Tea looked at herself bewilderedly. "No......oh wait." Inside the pocket of her pants was a white piece of paper. Wordlessly, she handed it to Kaiba.

Kaiba read the paper silently, his face a icy mask. Suddenly he crumpled it into a ball and tossed it to the side with a flick of his wrist. "What do they want?" Tea said hesitantly. 

His eyes hooded, he replied, "Something about a business deal I'm working on. They want me to end it." 'Why am I telling her this?' 

'Wow,' Tea thought in amazement. 'He's a totally different person when it comes to Mokuba. Beneath that aloof demeanor he really is a sensitive person...........who you really hate,' she thought mentally.

"Ummm.....no offense, but I really need to go back home now," Tea said nervously, looking outside. 

"I'll walk you back, it's too dangerous out there." Seeing Tea's surprised look, he added coldly, "Don't think of it as anything but a favor for trying to rescue Mokuba."

'Well excuse me!' thought Tea peevishly.

She tried to walk down the stairs but the steps tilted and spun beneath her. Staggering she reached out a hand to balance but her foot stumbled and she fell. Behind her, Kaiba watched her attempts to go down the stairs. When he saw her falling, he quickly grasped her shoulder to stop her from falling. "Aah," Tea whimpered, "that's my injured shoulder." 

Watching her tears with disinterest, he said harshly, "You're too weak to walk. I have to carry you."

Tea backed away from him. "No, you don't have too," but that sudden movement made her vision blur. Ignoring her feeble protests, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her. "Just stop your barking," he said sighing. "I'm only doing this because of Mokuba, as you should know. And lets keep this between the two of us, I don't want your 'friends,'" he said in obvious distaste, "hearing about this."

Tea stiffened in response. 'Just great,' she thought, 'I'm being carried by the CEO of KaibaCorp who's a selfish, self-centered, arrogant, prick!' Against her will, she yawned. 

Kaiba looked down. "You can go to sleep. But try not to drool on my shirt," he said shortly. But Tea was already asleep. Kaiba let his thoughts drift to Mokuba and as his thoughts did a complete circle, it went back to the problem of Tea Gardener.

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Umm...I ended it there because I wasn't sure if the chapter was good so far. If you read this, please review! Tell me if you like it :) 


	2. Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Thank you for your reviews! I loved them. I revised chapter one after Kaiba caught Tea, it's practically the same thing except the dialogue is different. Anywayz here's the next chapter! oh yeah, and I changed Mazaki back to Gardener.

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Tea dozed on and off, the pain always keeping her from fully sleeping. Suddenly his footsteps stopped. "We're here." Tea looked up, they were in front of the hospital. "I'll leave you here, later I'll question you about the men when you feel better," he said, his face set into that conceited air that she had grown to know.

"No," Tea said, with set lips. "Excuse me?" Kaiba said pointedly, "Who just lugged you over here?" He set her down on her feet.

"I'm sorry, but I don't need the hospital's help. Now if you excuse me, I'll just walk....ah....to my house," Tea said, hobbling away. 

Kaiba: x__x "Sorry Gardener, as much as I'd like to let you go, I can't risk you getting hurt, I need you to help me identify Mokuba's kidnappers."

"Well when I get home, and feel better, I'll call you," Tea said, walking away. 'I know I need help but I can't risk them seeing the scars...they'll suspect....'

"And if you try to stop me, I won't help you at all," she continued, wincing internally, knowing that she would help him for Mokuba. 

Kaiba smirked. Yeah, like she would really do that. "Okay fine," he said shrugging, "have it your way. I'm calling my limo to bring you over, here's my number when you find out that you need my help." He started to walk away.

"Wait," Tea said, "where are you going?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I have some unfinished business I need to attend to......unless you've changed your mind."

'Why that-that insolent...insolent....I don't need his help!' Tea fumed. "No, I haven't," she replied back in the same tone. The limo pulled up. As Tea settled herself in, she rolled down the windows and yelled to Kaiba's back, "I don't need your crummy help!" 

Kaiba watched the limo pull away, slightly amused. 'Who would've thought that the girl had so much spirit in her?'

*****************************

Tea winced as she cleaned the bruises on her ribs. Her shirt was off, and she was clad in her bra and underwear. The clothes that was put on her were tossed aside on the floor. "When you'll find out you need my help," mimicked Tea. "If I survived this long without my parents, I sure as hell don't need his," she muttered. 

Kaiba was walking to Tea's house. At first he was ready to call the doctors over to Tea's place but realized that if she was that adamant of not seeing a doctor, she would refuse his help. 

He sighed, raking his hand through his hair. He needed Tea recovered so that they could find Mokuba. He would use Tea as bait to draw out the men who dare to anger him.

Of course she wouldn't know anything about that. A small flash of guilt went through him, but he shoved the feeling aside. 

The doorbell rang. Tea froze, was the kidnappers after her? She hurriedly put on a big T-shirt and baggy pants, ignoring the pain. "Who's there?" she called from the top of the stairs. 

"It's me," said Kaiba. 

Tea slowly went down the stairs and opened the door. "What do you want?" she said rudely. Kaiba ignored her tone and brushed past her to enter the room. 

"How hurt are you?" he said brusquely. 

"Well let's see," Tea said sarcastically. "My shoulder and head is on fire, I have bruises on my ribs from that guy kicking me, and oh yeah, my throat hurts because of some goon decided to strangle me."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "So you most likely can't walk normally without gathering notice." 'She'll have to recover before I can use her as the bait.'

He touched her injured shoulder with a hand. "Uh....what are you doing?" said Tea nervously at his touch. "Seeing how bad it is," he said in an annoyed tone. 

"It's not that bad," he said, rotating her arm, "just needs rest and ice." 

"Since when were you a doctor?" said Tea in an insulting tone, in an effort to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

His icy eyes met hers, he opened his mouth to reply then closed it. "Let me see your ribs," he said, taking hold of the bottom of her T-shirt.

"No," Tea said flatly, holding her shirt down. 'If he see my ribs, he might see the scars...they're not that visible but still...' "It's not that bad, just bruises."

"If you're worried that I'll see your fat stomach, then cool it. I won't tell anyone."

Tea let go of her shirt in her anger. "I am not fat!" she said, jabbing a finger at him.

Kaiba used her let up to pull back her shirt. Tea stilled. "Looks like the sunrise," he commented, looking at her bruises. He gingerly touched one, "Does that hurt?"

"Yes," Tea said glaring, "now if you'll stop fondling me?" She smiled in satisfaction at the look of disgust on his face. "Please, don't get your hopes high, Gardener." Wait, what was this? He brushed his hand across her stomach, he could feel small laceration marks. Was she......? He slowly met Tea's eyes. 

Tea roughly pulled her shirt down. "I think you know where the door is," she said in a cold tone. 

Kaiba silently walked to the door, his mind in a whirl. Who would have though that underneath her cheery facade, she was harboring this secret. Not looking at her, he said, "You know, if you're afraid your friends will ridicule you, then you're wrong." The door closed.

Tea slumped down into a chair. Of all the people to find out, it had to be Kaiba. She suddenly wanted to get this all over with. If we find Mokuba soon then I won't have to see him anymore except in school.

She called the number he gave her. "Kaiba," he answered. "It's Tea, I just want to tell you that tomorrow, I should be fine and that I'll help you identify the men."

"Fine," he said, his voice clipped. "After school you're coming with me." Click. The phone was hung up. 

Tea sighed, 'What have I gotten myself into?"

************************************

Tea slammed her locker with her good arm. She was in a bad mood, the whole day her body was crying out for her to rest. But she had ignored its plea and went to school instead. Now her body was throbbing and a major headache was coming on. 

'Hey Tea," said Yugi, walking up to her. "You should go home, you look really tired. That fall down the stairs must've been bad."

"And you have bags under your eyes," Mai added, joining them with the others.

Yeah, the fall. A convenient lie she made up, just like the other lies she made up to cover up her injuries inflicted by her Dad. They all thought she was a klutz at home. "I'm just tired," she said with an artificial smile. "Sorry I can't go with you guys to the dueling games." They had all planned on watching some duels that were taking place at the park.

"Naw that's alright," said Joey, "just take it easy." Then he caught sight of Kaiba walking down the hall toward them. 

"Ugh, here comes Kaiba. Hey Kaiba," Joey shouted, "I've gotten a lot better, dare ya to take me on!"

The group restrained Joey from saying anymore with hisses of, "Well you just let it go?"

Kaiba smirked. "Sorry Wheeler, I don't battle pet dogs."

"Why you---mph, mph!"

Kaiba flicked Tea a look. "Let's go, Gardener, it smells a bit rancid here."

Everyone gave Tea a look. 

"Wait," Tristan said, stepping in front of Tea. "Just what do you want with Tea, huh?" 

The CEO gave Tea a look that said if-you-don't-get-outta-here-I'm-going-to-tell-them-about-the-scars. 

'Damn him!' Tea thought. 'But my friends will need a good excuse....' She looked furiously at Kaiba, as he gave her a satisfied glance. 'Ohhhh.......what will piss him off so bad,' she thought, 'I know!'

"Oh, Kaiba," she said with a cooing voice, "Thank you for reminding me!" She giggled inanely, looking at the gang.

The gang: O___O

Kaiba: O___O

"We're going out!" she said with a ditsy laugh. "I was going to tell you guys but you know it like totally slipped my mind!" Inside she was laughing so hard, the expression on Kaiba's face!! It looked like someone had just shoved cockroaches in his mouth.

"But you know," she said, relentlessly continuing her merciless attack, "he's just soooo handsome, and those muscles!" 

"Gardener!" Kaiba spluttered, for once in his life, at loss for words. His face flushed, he choked out, "You--you--"

"Uh-uh," she said waving a finger at him. "Don't you go denying it! You're the one who said I was the only one for you and the only girl that made you feel like a real man!"

If looks could kill, Tea would be six feet under in a flash. He grabbed her wrist and practically yanked her out of the hall. 

The gang: O___O

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Sorry for updating so late. Thanx for all your reviews!!!!! Please review!!!!!


	3. The Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Thanks for your reviews, I guess it was kinda funny at the end ^__^! I'll try to put more of that in, I was planning it to be a general type of story but I suppose some humor would help. Oh and those scars, maybe I didn't make it clear, they're from her Dad when he was still alive.....ya know. Okay here's the next chapter.

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Kaiba practically shoved Tea in his limo, his ears still burning. Never had he been so humiliated, and in front of Yugi Moto and his friends! 

"What did you think you were doing?!" he hissed at Tea who was calmly looking at her nails. 

"What's the matter Kaiba," she said mockingly, "can't have a little fun?" 'As much as it disgusts me to pretend, that was funny!' she thought. 

Just when Kaiba had thought he had understand females, Tea had to came along and smash his ideals down. Inside his ever ready mind, he was thinking on how to get her back. He had spent a lot of time of trying to read people's mind by their facial expressions. It had helped a lot, especially doing business transactions. He had noticed that Tea had done a minor hesitation before telling everyone they were going out. So she just did that to get back at me, he thought sardonically, but she didn't really enjoy it except for the laughs. Well Tea Gardener, he thought with an inner evil grin, don't play with fire unless your willing to take the consequences. 

Tucking that thought in the back of his head, he briskly returned back to business.

"Well start acting your age," he ordered, "we've work to do."

The limo pulled up to a Victorian mansion set with a fountain splashing in front of the double doors. Tea gazed around in awe, everything was so beautiful! "Wow Kaiba, with this kind of living quarters, how come you're always grouchy?" Tea said, looking at his garden appreciatively. 

Kaiba threw her a glare as they entered his office. Tea plopped down on a settee. 

Getting right down to business, he said, "So you don't know what they look like and you don't know where they are."

"They were wearing masks so I couldn't see their faces," reminded Tea.

"However," he said, trying to think of a way to make it sound innocent enough, "they don't know that I don't know-" he stopped seeing Tea's expression. 

Tea: o__O

"What I'm trying to say is," he said impatiently, "they believe that **I** think **you** are on their side."

"But why would they-oh!" Tea blushed, remembering how she was dressed when Kaiba had found her. "I mean, ahem, of course."

"I'm supposed to meet them again," he continued, "and if you went there instead of me, you would probably learn more information."

"Are you crazy?" exclaimed Tea, "I don't have a death wish, you know." 

"I'll be there, concealed, and if things get tense, I'll come in, acting as if I just got there. All you have to do is act scared, saying that I have you watched and you want them to convince me that you're innocent."

Tea stared at him with a yeah-right expression. "Okay, let me see if I have this straight. You want me to go sashaying in there, saying that you're on my case, setting the police on me and whatever. And then you want me to tell them to clear my name with you. The only major problems I see with this is, one, how would I, a girl who got set-up, know where to meet them. Two, they'll suspect that this is a trap. After all they beat me up and set me up as a messenger."

"But you see," his eyes intent, "it doesn't matter. No matter how bad you act or what excuses you say, you're bound to get some information. Just tell them that you read the note right before you gave it to me. Believe me, they'll help you. Most likely they'll make a deal, they'll get rid of me and never see you again if you agree to be their messenger."

"It means a great deal to me.....I want Mokuba back safe," Kaiba said, his face showing a faint flicker of inner pain.

Tea's heart went out toward him. Ohhhh, she thought, this is probably the stupidest, riskiest idea I've ever heard. But I feel so bad for him, and Mokuba too! 

Kaiba could practically feel Tea's mind going over his plan. He knew it was unbelievably risky and could see several gaping holes in it, but he needed more information. And he would risk Tea to get it. "I'm his only brother, I'm supposed to protect him," he added, turning his face away. There's no way she could refuse, he thought victoriously.

".......Oh alright," Tea muttered. "But you better be there, and if just a hair is touched on my head, I'm suing."

Kaiba handed her a note, "There's the address and the time. It would be best if you changed back into the clothes you were found in. Pretend that you were running away and didn't have time to change."

Tea: -___- "But don't forget, nothing will happen to me," she said, warning Kaiba.

At that, Kaiba said to her, "Did you get punished at home?"

"What do you mean?" Tea said, trying to conceal her nervousness. 

"Those.....marks, most often they're from a beating......"

"What are you implying, Kaiba," Tea said coldly. "That I was beaten at home? Well you're wrong," she said, lying. "When I was little, I was in a car accident. And the reason why I didn't tell my friends was because I was embarrassed of those ugly marks."

Kaiba could sense that she was lying. "Well it's none of my business," he said.

"However if you dare to use it as blackmail against me, then I won't go," threatened Tea. Damn, he thought, I was hoping she would forget about that. Ah well, it wasn't that much of a blackmail.

"Cool it Gardener," he said in a lazy drawl. "I promise I won't if you promise you'll go." 

"I already said I did," snapped Tea, her bad mood returning.

****************

Next day, late evening. 

Tea looked at the clothes. When I wear this, guys will chase after me waving money in their hands, she thought in disgust. 

She had skipped school today, pleading sickness. Her friends thought it was because of the 'fall.' They tried to call or come by her house, but she did not answer the door or phone. 

"Okay, here goes nothing," Tea said, after tying on the stilettos. She gingerly placed on the dog collar. 'God I look like a slut,' she thought, as she looked at herself in the mirror.

She went outside and waited on the steps. After a few minutes she heard familiar footsteps. "I don't see why we have to walk there," Tea complained. 

"If they see the limo, they'll know I'm with you," retorted Kaiba. They started walking in silence. Then Kaiba insultingly looked her over, "Not bad Gardener, if the top was any lower, you could officially work in a strip club." 

Tea glowered at him, as they turned the corner, they ran right into the gang without Bakura and Marik, carrying get-well cards and flowers. 

Tea stiffened, 'My life is officially over,' she thought. 

"Well hello Kaiba," said Joey, "what is rich money bags doing here?" The group gave a hasty glance at Tea, not recognizing her. 

The gang: O__O

"Well, uh, Kaiba," Malik blushing, "I'm sure your going to be, uh, pretty busy tonight, so we'll leave you."

"But I thought you were going out with Tea," said Yami confused. "Why are you with, er, her."

Kaiba thought triumphantly, 'Here's my chance to get back at her!'

"Oh, but can't you recognize her?" he said smoothly, taking Tea's shoulders into his hands. "It's Tea."

Joey looked carefully into Tea's mortified face, "Oh my gosh, it's Tea!" he yelled, smacking Tristan on the shoulder in disbelief. 

"Oh, uh, Tea," said Yugi, blushing, "you, um, look nice. So I guess you feel better already."

Tea scowled at Kaiba. 'He has me at a disadvantage and he knows it! Fine, if he wants to play it this way, he'll find out what I'm really made of.'

Tea winked at Kaiba flirtatiously, and said sweetly to her friends, "Oh but you know that I wasn't that badly injured. If I was that injured," she purred, running a hand down Kaiba's back, "I wouldn't have agreed to come with him tonight."

Kaiba grabbed Tea's hand, squeezing it hard. He was about to tell them that the whole boyfriend situation was false when he realized that it meant that he was throwing in the towel. He had never been defeated in anything, and he wasn't about to start now. 'Oh yes,' he thought, remembering that Tea didn't really like pretending this way. 'now she's going to get it. But what to do...' He gave in to the childish notion that was nagging at him the whole time since Tea had embarrassed him.

He slung a familiar arm around Tea's shoulders and dragged her toward him, ignoring her shocked look. 

"Oh but **darling**," he said mockingly, "it's true, I can't feel like a real man unless you're here with me. Your touch, your sunny smile, your," he swept a quick glance at her body, and continued, "your very....._ample _body...."

'AMPLE?! Ample!!!!' Tea screamed in her mind.

"But I will always be with you. Even when you never wash your underwear and wear it for three days straight----"

Tea cut in, her face furious, "Never wash my underwear?!!"

"Oh but Tea," Kaiba said, his voice innocent, "didn't you know? I had my butler wash it for you, so don't worry, you're wearing clean ones now."

Gang: O__O (again)

Tea could not think of anything to say. She spun around and stomped off, "We have a job to finish, **Kaiba dear**!" she said through gritted teeth.

Kaiba ran after her, saying cynically, "But don't be shy! Certainly you're not embarrassed!"

Gang: O___O

'Who would have thought he would actually do that!' Tea thought. 'I never thought he had it in him!' Kaiba had seemed like a different person, when he was making his remarks, he had seemed less older and domineering, and more like a teenage boy than a rich duel master.

Kaiba caught up to her, "So," he said smugly, "how does it feel to have a taste of your own medicine, Gardener?"

She glared at him, "That was so immature Kaiba. But then that just goes to show how much nobody knows you. Who knows," she said airily, "we might actually make a good couple."

Kaiba gave her a suspicious look, "What are you talking about?" 

She smirked, "Not now, I might tell you later. If I remember. But shouldn't we be more serious? I mean we are trying to help Mokuba now. We shouldn't act this way when god knows what happened to him." As soon as she had said those words she regretted them. She had sounded so cruel and callous.

Kaiba's face which had looked slightly less tired after verbally sparring with Tea, reverted back to his regular scowl and insensitive demeanor.

"Of course Gardener," he said coldly. "So good of you to remind me."

They continued their pace in silence while the night rolled on.

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Okay, that's the end of this one. Please review!!! And thank you for reviewing!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Thank you for your reviews! I loved them. I revised chapter one after Kaiba caught Tea, it's practically the same thing except the dialogue is different. Anywayz here's the next chapter! oh yeah, and I changed Mazaki back to Gardener.

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	4. Hidden Shadows

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Hey, (starts to dodge tomatoes thrown by reviewers), I know, I haven't updated since forever. Well technically I did, my Queen of the Damned story, but anyway, I decided to update this becuz well, u guyz were actually emailing me, using my email address, to tell me to update! I felt so loved! ^__^ Ah, so after this update, I'll update the Story, it's one of my fav stories I wrote, well, no, all of my stories I luv! Okay, enough comments, but for those who emailed me, u know who u are, and I thank u and luv u for it!!! By the way, this chapter will have the same tone as the first chapter, u know, some drama/seriousness ~__^

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Tea was lost in thought, mindlessly following Kaiba as he walked, his feet never slowing down, turning this way and that in the narrow streets. 

'God, I shouldn't have said that, why did I say that?!' she thought, berating herself. 'It wasn't supposed to come out that way, I only meant to get back at him.'

She collided into his back. 

"Ow!" Tea exclaimed, rubbing her nose. 

"We're here," Kaiba said curtly. His face was impassive as he pointed to a two-story house that loomed above the pigsty that surrounded it. Tea visibly blanched and slowly backed away, her eyes riveted on the house that was a block away from where they stood; its broken shutters and windows, slime running down the drain, choking weeds and vines on the rusty gate, rubble heaped at the door, all clearly visible.

"You gave your word," Kaiba said, calmly watching her back away in fright.

Tea drew a shaky breath, "What **is** that place?" 

A small smile appeared on his sneering lips, "The place you agreed to go. And there is no turning back, do you understand?" 

Tea looked at his eyes in disbelief, "But not to this!" she cried, as she realized that she had to step inside that house.

"You agreed, remember?" Kaiba snapped, his icy eyes blazing. "This is Mokuba we're talking about, he's just a little boy in the hands of these type of men!"

Tea stared at Kaiba, startled at his outburst. 

Hesitantly, she said softly, "Hey Kaiba, I'm sorry about what I said…I didn't mean it, you know that right?"

No answer.

"Kaiba," she tried again, "Kai--"

"Think before you speak, Gardener," he cut in coolly. "But I don't really pay attention to your babble so you can stop your little apologies. What you need to do right now, is go in there."

Tea's mouth set into a grim line. 

"I-Alright."

What she was doing was folly, but she promised and, well, perhaps this would redeem her in his eyes. 

Slowly she took one step, and then another toward the dark house. 

Kaiba watched her leave, her back tense, footsteps precise as it hit the pavement. What she had said had indeed hurt him, but he had hid it by reverting back to his cold mask. She dared to have the audacity to say that to him, the CEO of KaibaCorp. 

He ignored the twinge of uneasiness as her figure faded away in the darkness toward the broken-down house. Not only did she deserve this, he told himself, but she would help get Mokuba safely back. 

'Why am I trying to justify my actions?' he thought annoyed, 'since when do I care for Yugi's cheerleading girlfriend?'

Tea cautiously went up the creaking stairs that led to the front door, her eyes constantly darting around. 

"H-hello?" she called out, her voice quavering. She stepped into the living room.

It was bare except for scattered newspapers strewn on the rotting hardwood floor.

She walked to the middle of the room. 

"I'm the girl who you guys--" Tea paused, what exactly should she say?

Then two silhouettes appeared at the front door and three more appeared at the doorway that led from the living room to the stairs.

Tea gasped, and stiffened as the shadows moved into the room. They were five men dressed in muted colors of black and gray, except one of them was wearing a black trench coat. 

That man stepped toward her. 

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" the man said with a menacing voice.

"I-I…."Tea didn't know what to say.

He cocked his head to the side, dark brown eyes apathetic. 

"Well…?"

"He's after me," Tea said, her voice rushing, "K-Kaiba…I read the note before he-he came. He's been harassing me, and threatening to call the police--my house is bugged, so I couldn't go back there, look, I'm still wearing the clothes you gave me, I don't know what to do…if it were up to me, I would run away but he'd go after me-look, I won't tell anyone about Mokuba, just-just help me, I won't even say that you kidnapped me, nothing! Just--"

The man raised his hand, cutting her rambling off. "Very interesting," he remarked. "You weren't even a player in this game, I assumed that you would go off to tell someone about the kidnapping, yet you come back here saying that Kaiba is after you."

He smiled slowly, shaking his head, "Girl, we later found out, that you did indeed know Kaiba," he said shrugging his shoulders. "An unfortunate coincidence."

"So all these," he waved his hand at her, "little lies of yours, were unnecessary. We had people following you the whole time you and Kaiba walked here, though I have to admit, he must hold something over your head to force you to come here."

Tea shook her head in denial, "What are you talking about?" she said hysterically.

'Oh my gosh, they couldn't have known…'

"My dear Tea Gardener, I know all about you. Friends with Yugi Moto, Joey, Tristan, Mai, Marik, Malik, and so on. Aspiring dancer. Parents both dead, my sympathies to you--"

"Shut up!" Tea said sharply. "Okay, so you know!"

The man smoothly inclined his head at her, "I suppose Kaiba sent you here to find out more info…that bastard would do anything for his brother, which is a real pity, because you're going to have to be silenced."

Tea went cold. "But why? Why do you want Kaiba to close the deal?" she said in desperation and anger. "I have nothing to do with this!"

"You would be what I would call, an innocent bystander, that got involved." The man motioned to the other men and they surrounded Tea as he stepped back. 

Tea slowly looked at the men that circled her. 

'I'm actually going to die,' she thought numbly. 

A flash of anger tore through her. 'But not,' she thought with narrowed eyes, 'without a fight!'

She flung herself at one of the men, clutching his knees.

"Please, please, wait! I can be useful to you!" she said, sobbing wildly.

The man gave a disgusted look at her. As he started to pull her off of him, she punched him as hard as she could in the groin. The man doubled over, groaning as Tea ran through the open gap from the circle, toward the front door, heels skidding.

A hard hand grasped her shoulder and flung her across the room. She landed with a jarring impact against the wall, making the plaster crack.

She looked at the men, hair hanging in front of her eyes, a trickle of blood running down the side of her face. (Aaah! This is sounding like Power Within, oh well, ^__^)

The man in the black trench coat yelled in annoyance to his men, "Just kill her with your guns if you don't want to dirty your hands!"

'Oh f@#$! I can't outrun guns! Where the hell is Kaiba!'

As the men reached into their holsters, a crash was sounded.

Kaiba exploded from the window, a pistol in his hand, the glass shattering from his weight. As he started to fall to the floor, a single gunshot was sounded.

The trench-coated man howled in pain, clutching his leg. 

Before the other men could face this new threat, Kaiba had rolled on the floor and jumped smoothly up, grasping the injured man by the neck, the pistol pressed into his neck.

"Sorry I'm a little late to the party," he said, smirking at the men who's hands were still wrapped around the butt of their guns.

"Remove your hands and slowly drop your guns," he commanded.

They slowly released their guns when all of a sudden, one of them dove toward Tea. Tea reeled back as he hit her with a crash. The man grabbed the falling Tea and shoved her in front of him, as he mimicked Kaiba's gesture, pressing the gun into her neck.

"Let go of him, and she won't die," the man snarled.

Kaiba's cold eyes met Tea's shocked/surprised ones. 

"No," he said simply.

Tea's eyes widened, what did he mean no? This wasn't time to play games with her, the time of verbal sparring was over, did he not know that she had a gun to her neck?!

"Tell me where Mokuba is and your man won't get shot," Kaiba continued, pressing the gun harder into the man's neck.

A stand off.

The other men looked uneasily at the two gun holders, as the cold wind swept through the room from the broken window, swirling Kaiba's coat behind him while blowing Tea's blood-matted hair in her face.

The man gripped his gun tighter, his palm shifting as his finger pressed over the trigger.

Tea stared into Kaiba's eyes, she could almost see her reflection in his cold blue ones.

Slowly the endpoint of Kaiba's gun pointed to the other man.

"And if I shoot you?" he said in a relaxed voice.

"You know the answer," the man replied. 

Kaiba's stern face smiled, "I don't care about her, and you know that. If you say that you know me, then you should know that the only person that I care about is Mokuba, if she dies but Mokuba is saved, then so be it."

His words hit Tea, submerging deep inside her, she could understand him wanting Mokuba to be alive but did he have to say it that way? But why did she care what he said about her? After all, she told herself, he only saw you as a way to get Mokuba back. Who cares that he was a different person when you argued with him…who cares?! You are nothing to him! 

Unbidden tears welled in her eyes as she angrily tried to suppress them. Why the hell are you crying! I thought you didn't care about this arrogant bastard! You should be more upset that you're about to die!

Kaiba schooled his face as he watched tears glitter in Tea's eyes. She was actually crying over what he had said? He looked carefully at her, wait, they were gone. He must have imagined it.

I know why you were about to cry, a voice jeered in Tea's head. Because what he had just said sounded a lot like what your father said. He thought of you as a piece of trash and said exactly what Kaiba meant. That you weren't worth mourning over, better to let you die and let another live!

"No," Tea whispered, trembling in the man's grasp. "No!"

Kaiba looked incredulously at her, she had closed her eyes and was softly saying no over and over.

The man gripped her tighter.

"Shut your trap!" he growled, shaking her.

Shook her just like her father once did. No more.

Tea opened her eyes. No more.

Kaiba frowned as he saw a crazed gleam in Tea's eyes. Slowly, Tea craned her head to look at the man who held her. 

"No more, no more will I sit here calmly while you hit me," she said, staring into the now perplexed man.

"Do you understand that?" Tea said, her voice rising.

In response, the man cuffed her with his gun. "You actually want me to kill you, don't you?"

Tea stilled as the pain throbbed in her head. "Why," she said softly. "Why do you do this to-" her voice swung up wildly into a scream, "me!" She lashed out, twisting violently in his grasp, nails raking the man's unprotected voice.

Kaiba could watch and stare as Tea turned into a madman. She knocked the gun aside with a sweep of her arm. As the man dove for his gun, Tea kicked him twice in the face. The man pulled back, holding his face as Tea swooped down and grabbed the gun.

"Why!' she screamed, pointing the gun with a trembling hand at the man. "Why do you do this to me!"

The man watched the open hole of the pistol, "I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not whoever you think I am!" the man said, a scared look on his face. 

"Dad?" Tea said softly in a broken voice, "I'm sorry, I can't take this anymore. I'm sorry."

'Shit!' Kaiba thought. 'She's trapped in her memories.'

"Tea!" Kaiba hissed, "he isn't your Dad. Your Dad is dead, remember? A couple of years ago. Just slowly back up and give the gun to me."

"Dead?" repeated Tea, the gun wavered in her hand. 

The man saw his chance and jumped to the side while twisting the gun in her hand. Two guns fired at once. 

One from Kaiba, the bullet hitting the man in the lungs, the other from the now-dying man, hitting Tea in the shoulder. 

Tea collapsed, clutching her shoulder with one hand as blackness started to come. The last thing she remembered was Kaiba's voice saying, "Tea, Tea, did you actually believe what I said?" 

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Okay, now this chapter totally did not end how I thought it would be. It was weird, I could've approached this the humorous way but I thought, hey, the first chapter was serious, so make this one serious, after all, in the last chapter, Kaiba was a little OC. And then somehow, I had planned it to be this wild fight with Kaiba and Tea, never expecting that I would write this. It was like once I started writing, I couldn't stop, and what I wrote down, became the chapter. My fingers dictated the whole thing, and now reading over this, I'm like wow, this was unexpected.

So please review, and tell me what you think…^___^ Belle-fille1


	5. Four Little Men and One Woman

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Um…yeah, this isn't an update on the story, but it isn't an Author's note..Hehe, I had to delete all my author's notes becuz of the new rule, anyway, I wanna know which story you want me to start updating because…yeah, I made a stupid mistake and I have four stories on hold right now. So you have to tell me which one you'd rather want me updating, and the two stories that have the most..votes…are the ones I'll be updating until I finish them. 

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Okay the choices are:

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A. The Story - Tea/Seto Tea's a bodyguard for Seto…humor, mostly

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B. Queen of the Damned - (gradual) Bakura/Tea …A scary Tea…^__~

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C. Light in the Dark - Nice romance between Tea/Seto, basically they're tryin' to save

Mokuba…

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D. Journey Through Time - Tea/?? Right now it's a Yami/Tea, could be changed…brief summary is that Yami leaves to solve the questions about his life ß (bad explanation ^_~, better if you see the story, so far it's one chapter)

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E. Umm…This is another story I'm going to start but I wasn't sure when…I promised that there would be a sequel to Power Within, and I can start it right now if you'd like…

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F. A new story (comedy) of Tea/Seto with Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare as the basis.

Yeah, so those are the five choices and for the ones that have the least, they'll be momentarily put aside so I can finish the others. But don't worry, I won't abandon those babies of mine ^^…

However for the holidays, I'll probably do bonus chapters for all the stories, including the ones that got the least votes…

Now you're probably thinking, how is this not an Author's Note? Well becuz I'm gonna put nonsense in it…random stuff about my fav gal Tea and the gang. Oooh, now that I think about it, whenever I put up an A/N, I'll include some funny bits with it, so then it'll kinda be a chapter so I don't have to remove it..haha, too lazy.

Have fun and Happy Holidays…aka Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Ramadan, and any other I don't know about.

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Narrator: Now Tea was born with four brothers and their names were Harry, Larry, Moe, and Betty Boop….

Director: Cut! (starts screaming at the narrator) Their names are NOT the three Stooges, nor is the last one called Betty Boop! The names are Yami, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan! Tristan is NOT a Betty Boop!

Narrator: gulp, …Hehe..oops, sorry, I think I'm reading the wrong play.

Narrator: (continues) Okay, um, Tea had four older brothers, the oldest being Yami, then Tristan, Joey, and finally Yugi. Now these brothers were the hearthrobs among the ladies of the upper class. 

Director: Wait! You forgot to mention the setting this is in! This is supposed to be set in a place where lords and ladies rule and yadda yadda! (starts muttering) Sheesh, and I'm paying you for this?

Narrator: sweat drop…uhh, Yeah, well, on with the story. Anywho---

Director: Anywho??!! Anywho??!! Where the hell does it say anywho?!! (starts chasing the narrator around with a bat)

Belle-fille1: Uhh..yeah, umm…actually…director? This movie has already been done..see? (points to the video monitor which shows the beginning of a movie titled, Gone with the Wind) oops, wrong one, I mean that one. (Shows the beginning of a movie called, Matrix Reloaded) Dang, not that one either, (starts banging the control)…ah! See? The movie is called Four Little Men and One Little Woman.

Director and Narrator: O__O….uh..okay.

Belle-fille1: Oh, hello, I didn't see you readers here. This is the movie about four brothers and a sister! Enjoy your treat! 

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Music: Elegant Fanfare

Scene: A regal estate at the Ishtar's residence. Inside, the ballroom is filled with beautiful ladies decked in furs and feathers at the latest vogue fashion while they are twirled by dashing handsome eligible men. 

The butler announces the arrival of the Mazakis'. Immediately ladies swoon and scream as the dark and mysterious Yami comes in. Older married ladies and widows raise their eyebrow, flagrantly eying the illustrious Yami who is the very paragon of a ladies man.

Then comes the two brothers known as the 'Fighting Duo,' Tristan and Joey. 

Joey: I told you how many times? I didn't take your picture of that girl! Besides, she looked like one of those biddy matrons chasin' after ya for your money..I don't even know her!

Tristan: Of course you don't know her! Then if you don't know her, why…DO YOU SMELL OF THE PERFUME OF THAT SAME WOMAN WHOSE IN THE PICTURE?!!!

Joey: Eep!

Tristan starts pummeling Joey while a chuckling crowd gathers to watch. Then, barely audible over the din, the butler announces the last Mazaki brother. 

Butler: Yugi Mazaki!

Young, barely seasoned girls squeal as the adorable youngest boy of the Mazaki family comes out. 

Finally the Butler notices that the brothers have brought in their sister.

Butler: Tea Mazaki! (A/N: Yes, I know that the first name is the dubbed English ^_~)

Tea shyly comes in, it's her Coming Out, this is her first season as an eligible girl. The other ladies snicker behind their silk and satin fans, what kind of clothing and hair style is that?!

Tea flushes as she hears one lady titter as she descends down the staircase, Those colors don't even match! And her face! Who put the powder puff on her? She looks like a sick ghost!

Fortunately for the gossiping lady, none of the Mazaki brothers hear or else there would be hell to pay for insulting their beloved sister. But the brothers had one fault. Since they raised up Tea by themselves after their parents died when Tea was twelve, Tea never knew how to dress fashionably or put on the correct make-up. 

While flocks of ladies swarm the brothers who are valiantly trying to wade their way toward their sister, Tea slowly walks away to the side. Eventually the brothers succeed, and make it to Tea's side. 

Yami: Tea, are you okay? Why don't I ask one of my friends (gestures toward a couple of lounging bachelors surrounded by seductive ladies who are sipping white wine) to dance with you?

Tea: With a wan smile, "No…that's okay, you four go dance, I'll join you after but I need to go do some..um…ladies stuff."

At the mentioning of 'ladies stuff,' the four brothers hastily exit with the youngest leaving a worried gaze at his pale sister.

Tea: (thinks) Wow, everyone here is so beautiful…I wish I could dance as gracefully as those ladies or at least wear those kind of clothing.

(A/N: Ooh, it's harder for me to use script form…)

By the end, Tea had successfully evaded invitations to dance from several gentleman. She knew that they had been sent over by her brothers. I just want them to have fun, she thought sadly, I know I don't look as good as the others out there. I'll just embarrass myself.

However some of the men were very nice to her and she found that she enjoyed talking to them, especially about the topics that strayed into the more 'manly' areas. Like cards, dice, which movement to use when one is cornered by thugs, all the things that her innocent and naïve brother, Yugi, had taught her before he was caught by their elder brothers (she had secretly continued learning from books even though her brothers had expressly forbidden her to learn those arts which were unsuitable for a gently bred daughter of a Lord.)

Tea enters the restroom and goes into one stall. Four gossiping girls, all known to be the most beautiful girls in the Season so far, comes in. 

The brunette with dark come-hither eyelashes preens in the mirror while a blondie, with a dainty face and china blue eyes, purses her lips. "Amanda," demands Lady Desiree, flipping her golden hair back, "Did you see the poor thing coming after the Mazaki brothers?"

Amanda, the brunette, rolls her eyes, "Of course, who couldn't? Such a huge…contrast compared to the Mazaki brothers. I personally think she was a gutter rat's child that somehow became to be their sister."

The black haired, flashing eyed beauty called Serinth, sneers. "Please, Desi dear, we mustn't talk about her that way. We can use her to get to her brothers!" Serinth poses in the mirror with a vapid look in her eyes. "Oh Tea? My name is Lady Serinth, and I noticed that you've been without partners, why don't I help you get comfortable in the season with my friends? We can help you choose some…better clothing and get the ridiculous trash off of your face!" She ended the sentence giggling and fluttering her eyelashes while the fiery redhead Mana, curls her lips, amused.

"What a wonderful idea, Serinth," muses Mana, twirling a long finger around her curly locks.

"But…," cuts in Lady Desiree of Marchmount, "Her brothers are bachelors for a reason. They'll know what we're trying to do with their sister and then we'll be caught."

The ladies murmured in assent, "Ah well, back to the ball, my dears," says Amanda, batting her eyes, "We mustn't want the men to be without company!"

As they left one of them said, "Forget about the Tea girl. She'll be one of those plain girls, given no attention until a poor man weds her for money."

Tea slowly opened the stall door. "Am I that ugly?" she whispered to the mirror. Then she fled, leaving a surprised servant a note telling her brothers that she was ill and had gone home to rest.

(A/N: Yeah, I'm switchin' away from script form so the tenses will be differentà to past tense)

When she reached the manor, Tea ran to the courtyard where a blue fountain tinkled its water to the ground. "I wish I could have someone help me, I'm so ugly with these clothing and make-up!" she sobbed in to her hands.

Then a mysterious lady appeared with a lacy blue dress and a silver wand in her hand. 

"My dear, I am Mai, your fairy guardian," says the beautiful blonde.

"What?" croaks Tea in astonishment, tears still dripping from her face.

"Don't cry, I'm gonna teach you all the arts of how to look good so that the next ball you go to, no one will overlook you over your brothers!"

So from then on, Tea set to work with Mai, her fairy guardian. Mai took her shopping and eventually Tea knew learned that some colors just didn't work others and that baking mix will not work as a concealer (sp?). Dancing soon became Tea's pastime with Mai instructing her which foot went first and who lead the dances.

Finally the second ball came and this time it was one of the most important balls of the year. The Midsummer Nights Ball where everyone masqueraded in masks.

Fairy Mai had told Tea to dress up as a nymph. She wore a sleek flimsy silk gown that was awash with the colors of the sea, creating a beautiful blend of green and blue. A slit rode up to mid-thigh, which Mai had insisted, saying that it would show off her slender legs. The airy dress had gauzy straps that hung off of her shoulders while the rest trailed behind her like a bridal gown. Mother of pearl was inlaid on her mask with green feathers protruding upwards while diamonds winked in Tea's curling hair that was done in the most chic fashion, one tendril let loose to settle coyly on her bare neck. Several pearl strands held the hair in place, gleaming in the light.

"Okay," Mai said, giving Tea a look over, "I'm coming with you, so tell everyone I'm just a minor lord's daughter who no one knows about." With that, Mai pointed at her self and poof! She was wearing a royal purple gown, that revealed her back. 

Tea left a note for her brothers that she had gone to the ball 'early' with her new friend.

Both of the girls came in to the magnificent estate with hooded capes. As they escaped to the restroom to make sure their masks were firmly on, the Mazaki brothers strode in.

"Where's Tea?" asked Tristan, elbowing Joey. 

"Relax," said Joey, "We don't know what mask she's wearing, she'll probably unveil herself to us at the end of the ball." The Mazaki brothers had decided against masquerading themselves.

The four men then turned at the hubbub that appeared. Their eyes widened in shock and a huge clearing appeared as the crowd melted from the Mazaki brothers' view and the six newcomers. Curling his fists, Yami said grimly, "Look who's come out of the gaming hells now." (Gaming hells are gambling places)

Leading the front of the six darkly handsome men without masks, was the Lord Seto Kaiba, powerfully holding the crowd with captivating icy eyes, followed by the scowling Bakura and Marik, eyeing the rest of the crowd with an enigmatic air. Lastly, the less troublesome of the six, Ryou and Malik, sweeping their gazes of the trembling ladies, setting all the women hearts aflutter. Known as the Rakes from Hell, the six men were bitter enemies to the Mazaki brothers.

Seto Kaiba sauntered to Yami, his eyes narrowing, taking in the other with a contemptuous smile, "Well, well, well, looks like the Mazaki brothers are here. What a pity, I thought the rancid smell would dissipate from the last time you attended this dance, but I see that it just vigorously renewed its stench."

The brothers growled, taking an offensive stance while the rest of the nobles drew back, eagerly anticipating a good fight.

The orchestra hastily struck a song, the dance had begun. 

Marquise Pegasus Maximillion, the host of the ball, visibly sighed as the two groups dissipated at the start of music, stalking to opposite ends of the corner.

Mai and Tea hurriedly came out of the ladies room and looked at each other in dismay at the dance which had already begun. 

"Oh well," shrugged Mai, "We'll join in the next one. Here, lets go to those seats over there and rest our toes."

Then Mai poked Tea in the shoulder, "Why are your brothers glaring at those absolutely gorgeous men over there?"

Tea turned her head and gasped when she saw who Mai was looking at. Her brothers were looking mutinously at the Rakes from Hell. 

"Those men are enemies of my brothers!" gasped Tea.

"Ah," Mai said admiringly. "And fancy that, all bachelors too, c'mon," she said, grasping Tea's hand, "Lets go meet them, your brothers won't know since you're disguised."

As Tea struggled from Mai's grip which was dragging her ever closer to the Rakes from Hell, her eye caught one of the Rakes. Lord Marik of Wyndham Hill. 

Marik did a double take at the vision coming toward him, she was splendid in a sea of green and deep blue. And next to her was an equally enchanting woman with a dark violet gown. Elbowing the ever cool Lord Kaiba of Raythen, he drawled in a debonair voice, "Look what's coming our way. It seems that coming to this ridiculous dance was a good idea. We haven't seen these two ladies before."

Lord Kaiba gazed inscrutably at the two ladies. Marik was right, he definitely had not seen these two before. The other Rakes swirling their red wine in the crystal glasses waited expectantly for the two ladies to come as they stopped, the one dressed in green had freed herself from the tenacious grasp of the purple. 

Duke Bakura of Fyare raised an eyebrow as the green gowned woman fled away, gown fluttering and revealing a glimpse of her leg, toward…toward the Mazaki brothers?

"Well," said Malik, amused, "She preferred the Mazaki brothers over us?" They watched with avid interest as the blonde woman chased after the brunette who was gesticulating wildly to the Mazaki brothers. 

"So," said the Lord Devlin passing by with a beautie on his arm. Duke sometimes caroused with the Rakes at the gaming hells and salons. "How does it feel to be snubbed over by that young filly to the Mazakis?"

The Rakes of Hell rolled their eyes, "Watch us," said Marik standing up, with the other following suit.

The six men shouldered their way to the Mazaki brothers who were glaring at them. 

"My Lady," said Marik smoothly, kissing Tea's hand. "Will you dance with me?" Grasping Tea's shoulder, Marik gently steered the reluctant and stammering Tea to the floor. 

As they were about to step on to the floor, Tea mustered her courage and said, "I'm sorry, but I really can't dance with you, my card is full."

"Oh?" questioned Marik, "And who are these lucky young men?"

"Umm…my, my bro-I mean the Mazai brothers," said Tea, bidding a hasty retreat, leaving Marik staring at her.

Bakura and Kaiba smirked at Marik's dumbfounded expression as the vision in green made her way back to the Mazaki brothers' side. 

"Well if that one doesn't suit you," said Bakura, taking Tea's hand, "How about dancing with an old fellow like me?"

Tea wrenched her hand out of his. "I'm sorry," she addressed to the Rakes, "But I don't dance with anyone who's enemies to my brothers."

"Brothers?!" exclaimed ten male voices.

Tea took off her mask, grinning at her brothers' expressions. "Like how I look?" she said happily, ignoring the other men. 

"Wow, Tea, I vouch you are the most beautiful-est maiden here tonight," promised Joey, with a nodding Yugi at his side.

What interest that had been in Tea, flared as the other men glanced at each other, now this was an opportunity that they could not pass up. The innocent sister of the four Mazaki brothers, here, right in front of them…with her jealous brothers now glaring at them. 

Kaiba chuckled, ah yes, chance sometimes had a funny mind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heehee, okay that was my short story…lol, I know, it was kinda jumpy and I switched the format, but that's my little holiday sugar cane for you. If you want this can be option G, if you'd like.. Lol, you guys are probably like, no more! No more options, there's too dang many! Okay have fun choosing! Bye-bye and don't forget to review and tell me!


	6. Veiled Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Okay soooo, so far most ppl want Light in the Dark, I'm still taking in votes of which two u want me to update. (see prev. chapt for info) Right now I'm going to try to update one chapter of all of my stories and then once I do that, I'll narrow it down to (most likely) two stories that I will update and complete. So sorry for the late update and I want to give thanks to my reviewers for all their support and advice! (sighs) You guys' were all so sweet to me…sniff…and everything's okay now! ^^

************************

Tea woke up to the muted sounds of birds chirping. Slowly she opened her bleary eyes as she winced, her body felt as if it had been run over. She could see a canopy swath of red velvet above her. Her hands shifted on the white silk sheets to clench the bedspread. 

The injured girl smiled mockingly to herself, out of all the places she could be, she was at the Kaiba's residence. Gently, Tea turned her head to the side and saw the perfect picture of innocence in front of her. 

Snoring softly, head lolled back, eyes closed on a chair next to the bed, slept the powerful CEO of KaibaCorp. His face had a weary look, dark bags under his eyelashes while faint lines were etched in the corner of his eyes. But he appeared more gentle…he looked like the boyish young man that had teased her in what seemed like a few hours ago, except this time, there was an aura of peacefulness around his face, a kind of naivité mixed in with a tinge of sadness.

She could almost forgive him…almost. 

She needed to get out of here, just seeing him made her hurt inside even more. Struggling, Tea gradually managed to slip out of the bed without making a sound. She shuffled to the heavily draped window and pulled it back for a crack. Light blazed through the dim room as Tea squinted and shielded her eyes with an arm. It was almost midday. 

As Tea let the thick curtains fall back, Kaiba silently stood up. The sudden brightness of the room had woken him up and he had opened narrowed eyes to see a forlorn girl standing near the window. Tea. Her left shoulder was heavily bandaged while her mussed up hair curled around the starch white night gown that the maid had dressed her in. Blue bruises was visible around her legs and arms. 

Tea turned around and gasped. There was Kaiba staring at her with an intent expression, his blue eyes burning into her. It was surreal of how he could discard one mask for another. She lifted up her chin and steadily gazed back into his eyes, daring him to say something. Anything. 

Something shifted in his eyes, and they became stormy, specks of dark Mediterranean blue washed in.

No, in fact it would be better for her if he didn't even speak at all. 

"I suppose you didn't get any information," Tea said, averting her face. The dusky brown walls suddenly held an avid interest for her. 

"Actually I did," Kaiba said, his voice blandly neutral. "After you fainted, they told me an interesting bit of info."

And interesting it was…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound reverberated in the room as the man pitched forward, a pool of blood steadily growing larger underneath him. Tea, her face ghastly white, clutched her shoulder as a large red stain appeared underneath her fingers, rivulets of the crimson blood running over her pale hand. It seemed like one second lasted an eternity. Her mouth opened in shock and disbelief, empty eyes staring at Kaiba as ever so slowly, she fell. Her hair ruffled upward as the ground tilted underneath Tea and met her falling body. Then her eyes, awash with glittering teardrops, sluggishly closed as her body sagged. 

The other men stared at their dead companion and the still form of the girl. They backed uneasily away, they had never thought that they would court death in dealing with Kaiba. 

Kaiba trained his gun on the men, his hand moving back and forth over the cringing men. "Tell me everything you know," he said, voice hard, "Or else you'll end up like your dead companion."

Their voices cracked and stumbling, the men had told them that they had been hired to meet the CEO of KaibaCorp. They were supposed to give him another message to meet at another place since the boss knew that the girl was a classmate of Kaiba's. But what had made Kaiba almost pull the trigger on them was that the boss had told them that he had never planned to give back Mokuba. It would be a perfect blackmail, the thing that would finally control the arrogant Seto Kaiba. His every little move would reflect on whether his brother would die at his enemy's hands. 

The men had been sent scurrying of but Kaiba knew that they would be executed by their boss. Whoever this mastermind was, knew that Kaiba had interrogated his men and could take no chances.

~~~~~~~~~

"Then," her voice detached, "I have fulfilled my promise and I hold you to your promise you made earlier. Nothing will be spoken of about me."

As she turned to leave, her pace absurdly slow, Kaiba caught the sleeve of her gown. 

"You can't leave…you've lost to much blood, my doctor says at least a few days of rest for you."

Tea looked straight ahead, her face calm. Eventually his hand dropped. 

"Just bring me to my house with your transportation, I'll rest at my place…and don't bother in changing my clothes. I want to go home as soon as possible," she said, arms listless at her side.

"Fine," he said finally and he walked out the door to arrange the limo.

The moment he left, Tea closed her eyes as she raised a trembling hand to her forehead. She had wanted to ask him why? Why did it seem that her father haunted her even now? The very own words that Kaiba had said had been almost exactly what her father had said during one of his rages. And when she had faded into darkness, did he really mean what he had said? 

All she could remember was an immense pain flaring in her shoulder as she fell, fell…onto the hard floor. And she had heard Kaiba say…say…"Tea, Tea, did you actually believe what I said?" …Did he mean that? 

Tea chuckled softly as unbidden tears streaked down her face. Just when she thought that her previous life was just a distant memory, she had to be involved with the Kaiba's and then all her memories had come rushing back. She could never escape from her past. Hastily, Tea wiped her face, she could hear his footsteps coming back.

Kaiba entered the room and stopped short at the sight of Tea dabbing her cheeks with a hand.

Embarrassed, Tea dropped her hand back to her side. 

"Your ride awaits," was all he said, "Follow me."

"Wait," Tea said in a low voice, almost inaudible to his ears. "Did you mean what you said at the very end? That you didn't mean what you said?"

Now it was Kaiba's turn to look away. 

"I suppose so. If you had actually died, then I might have lost an advantage I had over the kidnappers. So far, you're the only one who was there at Mokuba's kidnapping."

Tea's heartbeat sped up as outwardly she composed herself and schooled her face into a grim smile. Of course, that was why he had said that. She should have known, after all, this was Seto Kaiba. He only loved his brother Mokuba and she was just another person he was using to get Mokuba back. 

Then, a revelation. Tea bit back a gasp that almost escaped from her throat. Did she love him? This cold man that had said he would not care if she had died, if that meant saving his brother? No, this was not possible! It was too soon! She had sworn all emotions away and thrown herself in supporting her friends in their dueling games. Had been the caring friend who everyone went to when they were down. She was not to have succumbed to this deadly emotion.

Roughly, Tea threw this thought, sealing it away. Never. Never. This confusion that she was feeling this way was just from her remembrances of her dead father. Yes, that was it. Even as the thought was banished, an uneasy doubt swirled in her head. But then why act this way if you don't care about him? Why would you care if he had said those words that were so similar to her father?

Tea clenched her fists tightly, just forget about this place and the Kaiba's. 

Smoothing her face, she said impassively, "I see. You said the limo was ready?"

And that would be the end of that discussion.

The ride back to her house was deathly quiet. As Tea tottered out of the sleek black limo, her friends ran up from her porch. They had become worried after Tea's seat was absent at school. 

They gasped in horror, taking in her night clothing, swelling bruises on her arms and legs, bandaged shoulder, and cuts on her face.

Gently, Yami, Yugi, and Ryou took her by the arms and led her into her house. Joey and Tristan met the icy of Kaiba's belligerently. "What the hell did you do to her?" Joey said, his voice flat, and for once, extremely angry. Tristan snarled in agreement, he was furious. Mai had one hand on her hip as she waited for his answer. 

"We broke-up," Kaiba said calmly, "But during the ride back to her house, yesterday, we had an accident."

Malik narrowed his eyes. "You're lying." The rest nodded in unison.

"Believe what you will," his voice suddenly tired. The door closed and the limo smoothly moved away. 

Kaiba slumped on his seat. Mokuba…he would never see his brother again. His solid walls of defense had cracked after Mokuba's disappearance. And now they were fully breached with Mokuba now being the hanging threat over his head. His company would be controlled by another…his life controlled by that same man. And Tea…Tea…what did he really feel about her? She was just another of Yugi's friend, another of his hated enemies…but her accusing eyes right before she had fallen from the lack of blood. And he had said nothing to redeem himself in her eyes. 

"Only another girl," he breathed softly to himself as the car carried him out of Tea Gardener's neighborhood and back to his mansion that was bereft of his brother. 

~~~~~~~~~

Okay, tell me what you think, okay? It's a little slow here but I purposefully slowed the pace down. And thanks again for all your words of comfort! I love you guys all!!! 


	7. Breaking

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Uhmmm. . .angst/romance in this chapter. Err. . .sorry about the late update by the way. This story got the most votes. Hopefully this chapter will make up for my late update.

~~~~~~~

It had been two weeks. Two weeks and no word from him. Him, that man with the irresistible drowning blue eyes that could peer into your soul. The man who could captivate your heart, numbing your body with a contemptuous glance or a gentle smile. 

Her breath caught as she tilted her head upward to gaze at the brilliant leaves swirl in a soft cool breeze. Such beautiful colors of crimson red and brilliant yellow. The sun hit her exposed shoulders and warmed the thin cotton dress that hung loosely around her shoulders. Aqua eyes slowly drifted downwards in repose. 

"Head over heels," the thin girl whispered, "Head over heels in love."

How could this be? Was this destiny that ruled her heart, throwing it into the chaotic winds, the winds that stole her soul and whisked it to the very man who could not, did not have the capability to love another person. Every day her heart ached as if an immortal arrow had pierced her heart and it was slowly bleeding, ebbing. . .Every day her body trembled whenever she thought about him, that man. Seto Kaiba.

She looked like an ethereal mystical goddess from the heavens. The gleaming white dress swirled around her delicate ankles as her uplifted face received the embrace of the sun, searing white contrasting with the dappled shade of the tall trees next to her. Behind her, the lake provided a rippling background of light blue and twists of green that haloed her, flashes of the sun glinting every once in a while on the faint ripples. 

Something inside of Seto's gut twisted like a knife as he remembered her walking back to her house in the comfort and safety of her friends. Ah, surely life was too unkind. 

Tea whirled around. Staggered. Instantly, he was there, righting her up with his strong hands. 

Stumbling backwards, Tea wrenched herself from his grip. His resolute features hardened into the familiar mask that she knew so well.

"I wanted to say thank you for what you've done for Mokuba. . .and for me as well," he said, his voice hard. He gritted his teeth, the words, ah god, the words sounded so. . .

Tea willed her body to stop that ridiculous trembling, no, she would never show any weakness to him.

"As you have told me before," she said in a clinically detached voice.

He looked down, suddenly absorbed into the leaves on the soil. The wind through teasing fingers through his hair, ruffling his clothing. Blue Armani silk.

Slowly he turned and walked away. 

Tea stared at his departing back, stiff and formal. A feeling of despaired welled up inside of her. Now, now he comes and tells me that. . .

She resolutely gazed back at the lake, its cool lapping waves making a soft shushing sound on the smooth plain sand.

Suddenly her body trembled, this time in rage, a shot of adrenaline shooting through her. She suffered so much, so much, at least thing he could do, could do. . .

"Wait!" The cry tore through her lips, smashing through the tranquil air. 

Kaiba looked back at her, the sinful eyes confused. 

"Don't you dare, don't you dare just walk away!" Her voice rippled with anger. She approached him, each step bringing her closer to the man that she cursed and hated during the nights she could not sleep.

"How could you, you despicable fool!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. He did not take insults lightly. "What did you want me to tell you then, girl?"

Tea stared at him, trying to pierce through his façade, that wall that he always erected. "What's going to happen to Mokuba? Two weeks, Kaiba. Two weeks and nothing. You just can't. . .you just can't feel! You can't feel! Oh god, what's wrong with you?!"

She couldn't express her strange feelings in words. It was as if this feeling she had developed was an intangible thing that could never be communicated. The closest thing possible thing that she could say was that he could not feel.

She took the last final step that brought her right up to the young man. Abruptly, she slapped him with everything she had. 

His face registered shock, and then anger.

"You don't know anything, Gardener," he hissed, eyes alight with fire. "You don't know anything. Do you know what's going to happen to Mokuba? He's going to die unless I follow their orders."

"Are you just going to just give up then and listen to them?" Tea challenged back. She threw her head back and laughed mockingly, her voice hollow in his ears. "Poor Kaiba, doesn't know what to do. Is this it then?" Her voice dropped into a vehement whisper. "Why didn't you just leave me there to die then? You told me that you needed me alive so that I could help you with Mokuba. If the men already told you that they were never going to let you have Mokuba, why didn't you just let me die there on that floor?"

Her chest unsteadily rose up and down as a scream built in her. After her father's death, her life was perfect. Perfect until now. 

Kaiba gripped her shoulders hard. "You dare, you dare say that to me, you-you foolish girl!" 

"Kill me then!" Tea demanded, her lips sneering. "Be a man then, why don't you! Take me out of this misery."

He stared at her, and abruptly laughed, mimicking Tea's own laugh that rang out a few moments ago. "So melodramatic. Gardener, listen to me."

"No," she cut in. "You listen to me. You, you manipulated people all your life. Toying with them because they could not match you in your intelligence or wealth. And then your enemies have gotten hold of your brother and now you don't know what to do. Now you're going to be manipulated like a puppet. I would say it serves you right except for the fact that no one has the right to do that. And Mokuba is a total innocent in this affair. I thought at first, let me help this enigmatic person. Seto Kaiba, the person who always has been hurting my friends, making them suffer. Perhaps I can change him. I got to see the real you. The side that you've kept hidden under that barricade you set up for yourself. That night, you saved me. You didn't have to, but you did. Then you dropped me off. I hated you, I even thought I could kill you. You just dismissed me like one of your lackeys. Yes, perhaps you cared a little more for me because of my circumstances, but you shut me out after we went though all of that."

Her voice shook as her eyes glittered with unshed tears. The words immersed themselves in his mind. 

"These two weeks were torture for me. . .I didn't know what Mokuba was going through, didn't know what to feel for you-feel for you. . ."

"And then," she spoke out loud, but to herself, "My friends were worried, coming over with medicine and trying to cheer me up. And I realized that this was what you were missing. Perhaps this was why you closed yourself to the world. You had no one to trust, all you had left was Mokuba. Everyone either hated or feared you. If they were nice to you, they were always after something. But our friends, we tried to be nice to you just because. You hated that. You're all alone, Kaiba," she whispered. "You're truly alone."

He could not speak. The truth of it all, the words were all true. 

"Don't," he choked out, gripping the collar of her pristine dress. "Don't presume, don't, don't!"

Cool hands touched his face, lifting his head up to meet her eyes. 

"Is it to much, Kaiba? Is it to much to feel again? To care again? To wish for the feel of a warm body next to you? Release yourself."

I can't take this anymore, Kaiba shouted in his head. He pushed Tea back violently. 

"No! Get away, just get away from me." His eyes burned that same unholy flame as he glared at her. 

The calm that had taken over Tea was replaced once again by a surge of rage. 

"You will never understand Kaiba. And because of that, you will never be the man you could be. Mokuba will always be one inch away from death if you don't follow these people's orders."

Slam!

Tea clenched her jaw as she blinked her eyes, she was seeing white stars. Kaiba had slammed her up against a tree, his eyes a few inches from her face.

"What's the matter, Kaiba? Can't handle it? I thought you were a man. I do recall you doing this before, when we first met in that district. What's wrong now? Do you want to kill me for saying what you should have known all these years you've hurt people?"

Kaiba's face contorted, and a stab of fear wormed its way through the foggy haze of anger. For once, she actually thought Kaiba was about to kill her. 

So be it then. She had no regrets. She had friends that cared for her, she would last through them. 

"Are you feeling now, Kaiba? Do you feel human now?"

His hand moved from her arms to her throat, gripping it firmly. 

He was on the point of breaking, teetering on a precipice. One side dark, the other light. What would he choose?

"You can easily strangle me to death, why don't you. . .Kaiba-boy?"

The hand tightened, causing Tea to gasp. 

"You have nobody now, Kaiba. If I die, I die gladly. When you die, no one will care."

The vise-like grip clenched even more, spots of bright white and dark green blurred in Tea's vision. 

"Break, damn you!" she whispered. 

_Break, damn you!_

"Break damn you!" the man roared as he kicked the boy on to the ground. "What's the matter, why don't you cry? That's right, if you cry, then I'll really kill Mokuba. In this world, you're dead meat if you show your emotions. With each hit I give you, keep it within yourself, remember the pain, the agony, and then repay that person back tenfold!"

_"Break, damn you!"_

I'm staring into my death. Odd, I never thought I would end this way, Tea thought, looking into Kaiba's clouded eyes.

He teetered on the edge, and then he fell, fell to the left of him. . .falling in to the light. 

Slowly, the thundering heartbeat in Tea's head slowed as his grip lessened and then fell slack. His eyes blinked, and then refocused on the girl before him. 

The thick barricade, the façade that he had built brick by brick crumbled. 

The arm that held her up against the rough bark shuddered as shock replaced the red fury.

The passionate anger that had filled Tea became over washed with sympathy as Kaiba turned away from her. 

She touched his shoulder. "Are you happy now, Gardener? You're right."

The breeze picked up again, blowing errant strands into her face. "No, I'm not happy."

One moment she was standing behind, the next, her lips were pressed against his, her arms encircling his waist to press her hands on his back. 

He stood, not reacting, and then ever so slowly, his lips opened and he desperately kissed her back. Needing to know that he was real, that Mokuba was alive. That this girl before him was real, nightmares gone, and the childhood innocence that was stolen away at such a young age could return. 

Tea was consumed as his lips twisted deftly against hers as he drew her closer to his desire, his hopes, and his fears. This was more than love, her very earth was shaking, nothing could compare through this glimpse of glory and passion with this man. 

He needed more, it was as if through her, only then could he return. This blinding need, trust was dangerously intoxicating.

As their lips broke apart and then met again in an intricate dance, happiness blazed through Tea. He could break her and he could heal her. This was meant to be. 

"Kaiba. . ." she whispered against his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

^^ ; . . .a lot of drama. . .

Basically the next chapter will touch on how they'll deal with new relationship, the gang's reaction, and what's going to happen to Mokuba. Hopefully I'll introduce the bad guys finally. . . 

And no, they are not going to sleep together. . .errrr. . .at least not at this section. Gulp. . .


	8. What is going on?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

Wow thanx for all ur guys' reviews! My responses to the reviews will be at the end of the chapter. . 

This one switches back and forth from two events going on at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hard heels from his shiny black leather shoes hit the pavement. Double glass doors opened as the white haired man calmly strode inside the air-conditioned lobby. A woman sat in the front, busily typing down letters while talking on the phone. Plush seats of light blue ringed the glass walls while the deco-fountain tinkled behind the front desk. Clustered men in black and white uniforms of the Meiji Corporation talked with clients as they ushered the men and women into side doors or into the several elevators on the far side of the lobby. 

The woman looked up, eyes slightly widening at the youth's mane of hair, then ever so quickly reverted back to her socially polite face. After all, she worked for the Meiji Corporation, she was used to the eccentric visitors coming to and fro.

"Excuse me, sir," asked the receptionist politely, "Do you have an appointment?" He stopped midway toward the lifts, a sardonic smirk plastered on his face. He certainly was a weird one. Ruggedly handsome with white hair and dark wicked eyes. Actually, it was his eyes that caught the woman's interest, it was all harsh angles and sloping, bold lines, giving a hauteur and cruel look to him.

Slowly the tall man turned his head, "And if I didn't, what would you do?"

The woman blinked. "Ah, I understand now, you must be the man that he has the appointment with. They're waiting for you in the Lavender Room, it's on floor 37, room number 612. You can't miss it."

The man smiled faintly as he walked off toward the silver elevator, hands in the pockets of his loose black pants. The front of his black trench coat was open, underneath, a white tank that molded to his firm chest.

He started to chuckle softly to himself, shoulders shaking as the old woman standing next to him nervously edged away from the laughing figure. Revenge was always sweet. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Mai?" Tea asked her friend again, "You okay?" Mai sat across Tea in the La Lune Restaurant, mouth open, eyes glazed over. 

"Uh. . .Mai?" Tea said nervously, fidgeting in her seat. The classic blonde seemed to be in another dimension. Tea waved her hand back and forth in front of Mai's face. She frowned, she didn't think that Mai would take it this badly. Maybe she should've told Serenity first, she was much more calmer than Mai was. She looked around, hmm, no one seemed to notice Mai's expression. Well at least that was a relief. Behind Tea, in the screened VIP booth, Joey, Yugi, Tristan, and Duke sat with their ears pressed to the paneled walls. 

"Um, guys?" Ryou asked nervously, sitting with Serenity, Yami, and Malik. "If they catch you guys eavesdropping, you know that Mai'll try to kill us."

"SHHHHh!" the boys hissed at Ryou. "You're too loud!"

Serenity: -__-

"Ahem, Mai?" Tea tried again. "Mai, it's not that big of a deal, well, I mean it is to me, but it's just. . .uh. . .Seto Kaiba we're. . .talking about. . ." Hmm, actually it did sound worse now that she thought about it.

Tea cocked her head at her immobile friend stuck with that glassy stare, taking in her attire. She looked gorgeous as usual in her peasant spaghetti strap and mini jean skirt, it was just too bad that Mai was ruining the look with that embarrassing stare. 

But that kiss. . .was everything she dreamed it would be, better than anything she could have ever imagined. She would walk through fire for him. However. . .there still lay that gap of trust between them. Yes, love could conquer everything but there first they needed to lay down their barriers. . .would he still want her if he knew. . .? 

Tea mentally shook herself from her thoughts. Wake up Tea, stop thinking about it.

Sighing, she looked back at Mai. She looked like she would never awake from her stupor. 

"Mai, your fly is open." Immediately the blonde shrieked and looked down. "I don't even have jeans on, you baka!" Mai looked at her angrily. Then her delicate features changed into a scowl.

"Tea Gardener, repeat what you just said to me."

". . .err, Mai, your fly is open."

Mai rose up from her seat. "Not that! Just exactly WHO did you say you're steady with? Please oh please," Mai crossed her fingers desperately and her legs for that measure, "PLEASE don't tell me you're got back with the CEO of KaibaCorp. That-that jerk who-who got you into this mess in the first place. I thought it was just a cruel joke that Kaiba was playing on you. Like he blackmailed you to pretend to this slutty girl dressed in that outfit. Tea, girl, this man is leagues above you. And you know what I mean when I say that."

Tea met Mai's eyes calmly. "I don't think you understand. . .I love him. It was meant to be."

Eavesdropping boys: (anime fall) O__O;;

Her friend stopped her tirade in mid-sentence and slowly sat back down. "Oh boy, this is even worse than I thought."

"I love him, and, and he loves me back." Tea took in a deep breath. "Mai, I think it's time that I stop lying to you and tell you the truth. I-I. . ." her eyes started to water and she hastily dug in her purse for a tissue. Telling the truth was always ten times harder then telling a lie.

The boys fell again, making a loud banging noise as Tristan received a nosebleed thanks to Joey's elbow.

Mai wordlessly handed her a napkin. It was just too hard to believe.

"So-o. . .he loves you back?" An odd look fell upon her face. "He loves you 

back," she repeated softly to herself. "Wow. . ."

"Tea, something's going on, things just don't add up. How, when, why?"

Okay, time to spill it all out Tea. You can do this, she--all of my friends deserve to know the truth.

"Err. . .you know how, I mean, when my father died. . ." She stopped. "Sorry, I don't even like to think about this. . .my life has been one long struggle. After my mother died, my Dad-he. . .he turned into this moody person. One moment normal, the next angry against the world. He took this anger out on me."

Mai was silent, her eyes distant. "I see, those times where you said you were always clumsy, falling down the stairs and such. I always thought something suspicious was going on. . ."

"Yeah, those excuses. Pretty lame. There were a couple of times that it got really bad."

_Dad? Tea whispered softly into the darkened living room. Dad?_

Her father rose from the couch unsteadily, bloodshot eyes glaring at her. Why? Why do you look so much like her?

Dad, are you okay?

Why do you look so much like her? I hate you, you bitch, you remind me of your mother every single time I look at you. She left me, she left me, and now you're going to leave me too. 

Dad, calm down. Just. . .do you want some coffee? Do you want me to run some errands?

Oh my god, no one's in town. Everyone's at the dueling tournament a few miles away. I'm all alone. 

"I thought I was going to die. I don't really remember much of that night. Just that when I woke up, he was gone. He came back eventually, but his behavior was even more erratic. It was almost the end of Summer, I had recovered. . .one day---one day at a time. . ." her voice broke as she looked away, struggling to calm herself. Mai watched her in silent sympathy.

"Then. . .that day he died. . .what really happened--" she stopped as gasps rose from her throat.

Mai flew to her side, gently rocking her back and forth. "It doesn't matter, you don't have to say anything, he's dead, he can't come back." Tea grasped onto Mai as she sobbed violently into her flowered top. It was like a dam that was held back for so long that once it broke, nothing could stop it till it ran its course. Suddenly all her friends were there, hugging her. 

"I'm so sorry, so sorry," they said over and over. Mai glared at them over the top of Tea's head, "You little rats," she said indignantly. 

Tea waved off what was about to become a Mai tantrum. "It's alright. They should hear this as well."

She broke away from their hold, shaking her head.

"You know. . .you guys might not want to touch me after you hear this. What you didn't get from the reports or shall I say what the police didn't find out. . .was that he didn't kill himself. Someone else did."

A man sat in a large leather chair, his features shadowed in darkness from the closed purple drapes that hung around the ballroom.

The white-haired youth sat in front of him, swinging his feet up to rest upon the table. 

The man smiled faintly at the lack of respect. It didn't matter. As long as they both had the same purpose.

"I'm so glad that you came. . .Bakura."

"And that person who killed him is someone you know very well. . ." Tea continued. 

"I thought you were dead," Bakura said bluntly. "Unless you magically reincarnated yourself?"

"No. . .I never died. And neither did the boss of this corporation."

Bakura frowned, the mastermind of the Meiji Corporation had kept his identity secret ever since he had taken over the company. Who could he be talking about?

"Tea," Joey gripped her arm, "What are you talking about? Someone murdered your Dad?"

Tea looked away, unable to keep contact with all of her friend's gazes. She didn't want to see the look of sympathy turn into disgust and horror when she told them the truth.

". . .well to the 'murderer', that person sees that more of a self-defense action."

A pregnant pause.

"Tea. . .are you saying that. . ." Serenity whispered softly.

"You see, because you have close access to Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardener, it would be so much easier for me and the Boss to control them. We already have Mokuba, so we have all the leverage we need. All you have to do is report to us what the two of them are up to, Tea, as I know, will trust anyone."

"What's in it for me? Revenge, of course, for the pharaoh?" Bakura sneered. He would accept nothing less.

The man stretched his lips in a parody of a smile. "Of course."

Bakura stood up, lazily stretching his neck. "Consider it done. However, if you back down. . .I will personally see to it that both the 'Boss' and you have conveniently disappeared."

The man laughed hollowly, "Never fear, Egyptian thief. We both know what the stakes are."

The final truth after all these years. Tea closed her eyes, in horror, in pain, the gang couldn't tell. The ghastly silence stretched out, and then, "Yes. . .I killed him."

The former thief curled his lips at the man. "I'm sure," he replied as he turned and walk away. 

As the door closed behind Bakura, the man stared silently at the empty space before him.

"Tea. . ." he whispered, eyes gleaming in madness. "The doctors said I should've died. . .but I didn't. That last action you did to me will go straight back to you. . ."

With cold precision, Mr. Gardener stood up and grabbed the stray papers on his desk. The plan was set in motion.

"You and your star-crossed lover shall fall."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So the secret is out! What really happened that day Tea's father died? And what is he doing back now?

Next episode: More Seto/Tea stuff, explanations of how Mr. Gardener fits in to the story, and what Bakura will do. Oh, and also what Kaiba will do when he finds out Tea's secret.

Thanks for Reviewing, I know I've been having late updates! Haha, finally had a moment of inspiration because I originally had writer's block. 

Responses: 

Umiko Morimoto: Thanks, this chapter doesn't really go into Mokuba buuuut I think I'll put that for the next one. ^__~, I tried to make this one more suspenseful, hehe. Thanx again!!! Peace and love to you! Or as Vash from Trigun would say, "Love and Peace!"

Tori: hehe, yup, I ain't dead! Thank goodness…Thank you for reviewing. I agree, the unbreakable jade needs to update as well, she's a fab writer.

Shaylo: Why thank you, I'm glad that you liked it! Your penname is so pretty by the way, Shaylo. .. I love names that start with S. Hopefully I'll keep it up to standard with this chapter!

Vaz1201 and Demona: Yay! Thanks a lot for reviewing!!!! Hehe, yeah there might've been too much drama, hopefully this one is a little less drama and more suspense ^^

Love ur review!

Guardian of the Light: Hello fellow authoress!! Thanks for reviewing!!!!! I must check up on your stories, sorry if I've been lax in reviewing. Senioritis has been hitting me hard. That means me become a big ball of fat sitting in front of sofa -_-. . .thanks again!

Malik Fan 03: OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was because of you and a couple of other authors that I decided to join fan fiction and you guys also made me fall in love with Tea!!! Thank you so much for reviewing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Muah!!!!

Lynderia: I always love your reviews because they're so insightful!!! Yay, you're like one of my best critics ^^!!!! This has more suspense but hopefully that'll lead to more emotional action! Once again, thanks for your reviews, you're so good at them!

Jujube: What's up! I love your stories hehe . . .Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I was kinda surprised to when I re-read it. . Haha. . .Muah!

TaichiPrime: haha, I'm sure you aren't, thank you, I love Seto/Tea stories myself. They're my favorite pairings! Hopefully u liked this chappie!

HieiLovesBotan: Welp, I updated, hope u liked it! Thank you for reviewing, and by the way Hiei rocks! *cute bod. . Gulp*

Goddess Hikari: Thank you, I updated now, and hopefully it's as good as the previous one. Thanks for reviewing!

Shadowheart378: Thank you. . .haha, it means I've done my work well if my critics are speechless, lol. Thanks again for reviewing!!!!!!!

Liz Inc: Hey, I'm glad that you liked it! Thanks for putting me on alert, I hope this chapter is good too, haha.

Allison Mizaki: hey, I almost forgot about my penpal here! Thanks for reviewing, you should update your stories haha. Love you!

Thank you everybody for reviewing and if I forgot anyone, I give you slapping rights. 

__


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